Glossary · Term

Serfdom

Serfdom was a form of unfree labour in which peasants were bound to the land and owed labour or dues to a lord. It was widespread in medieval Europe and lasted longest in central and eastern Europe. It features in the profiles of the Holy Roman Empire, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, where it intensified with grain exports, and the Russian Empire, where it was abolished in 1861.

Mentioned in 16 profiles

Holy Roman EmpireSocioeconomyPolish-Lithuanian CommonwealthSocioeconomyRussian EmpireSocioeconomy, Military, ImpactDuchy of NormandySocioeconomyKingdom of EnglandSocioeconomyKingdom of SwedenSocioeconomyKingdom of FranceSocioeconomyKingdom of BohemiaSocioeconomyGrand Duchy of LithuaniaSocioeconomyPrincipality of MoldaviaGovernanceHabsburg MonarchySocioeconomy, SummaryTsardom of RussiaSocioeconomy, Impact, SummaryKingdom of PrussiaSocioeconomyPrincipality of LiechtensteinSocioeconomyGerman ConfederationSocioeconomyKingdom of ImeretiSocioeconomy

Mentioned in 15 state histories

Margraviate of BadenBishopric of DorpatMargraviate of Baden-DurlachMilitary FrontierDuchy of Courland and SemigalliaSwedish PomeraniaDuchy of Mecklenburg-SchwerinGovernorate of EstoniaGovernorate of LivoniaGovernorate of CourlandElectorate of BadenConfederation of the Rhineand 3 more

Great speeches

John Ball at BlackheathJune 1381

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Serfdom. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/serfdom
MLA
“Serfdom.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/serfdom. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Serfdom.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/serfdom.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Serfdom’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/serfdom (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻